“Before we can have a customer, we must first have a buyer.” That is one of my favorite lines from the book we’re going to discuss today. It is a notion that is intuitively simple, but not initially obvious. Today I speak with author Carole Mahoney about her upcoming book Buyer First: Grow Your Business with Collaborative Selling. Carole explains how a buyer-centric experience starts from the very first interaction, and why it's essential to challenge traditional notions of sales. She reiterates that "selling is not something we do to other people; it is something we do with them," and explores how collaboration is key to creating a positive buyer experience. Carole shares common mistakes businesses make when creating buyer experiences, including relying on the product to sell itself, and offers valuable insights on how to approach sales with a buyer-centric mindset. Whether you're an entrepreneur or a sales professional, this conversation offers practical advice and actionable steps to help you put the buyer first and grow your business.
Author of Buyer First: Grow Your Business with Collaborative Selling, Carole is changing the way the entire sales industry sees itself — and how buyers see it too. She has been called the “Sales Therapist” at Harvard Business School where she coaches on sales for their Entrepreneurial MBA program. She is also the President of the AA-ISP Boston Chapter, been named as a top sales influencer by LinkedIn and Sales Hacker, and voted a top sales coach by Ambition. With the heart of a teacher and the spirit of a coach, Carole is ready to share how you can unlock the success you’ve never thought possible.
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Carole Mahoney, thank you so much for being here!
Remember, you might be in business FOR yourself but you are not in business BY yourself.
Be your best self. Be proud and keep changing the world.
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Host Jeffrey Shaw is a Small Business Consultant, Brand Management Consultant, Business Coach for Entrepreneurs, Keynote Speaker, TEDx Speaker and author of LINGO and The Self Employed Life (May 2021). Supporting self-employed business owners with business and personal development strategies they need to create sustainable success.